Jess + Sam | Modern and Artful wedding at historic mansion in NYC
Sam and Jessica are warm, engaging, organized, and tasteful human beings. Every person they've welcomed into their community, including myself, have their undying love and support and it was an absolute pleasure photographing the laughter, tears, and booty-poppin' dancing they shared on this wonderful occasion.
They met in the summer of 2015 during Jessica’s Freshman year at NYU. Sam was a co-owner and lead producer for Apotheosis Opera, an opera company in the city, where Jessica was cast for a summer production of Wagner's Tannhaüser. One night, during tech week, the cast and crew split Ubers home and they found themselves in the same cab. Jessica was on her way to a Snarky Puppy concert when her friend backed out last minute. Sam offered to tag along and the rest is history. They share a love of the arts, restaurants, travel, and their three kitties Gus, Mickey, and Hamilton.
They were married on October 1st, 2022 at the Harold Pratt House on the Upper East side of Manhattan. They pulled their decor inspiration from the historic building with modern and artful florals that complimented the venue while also nodding to the season. The ceremony was performed by their notable godfather, Jerry Dixon who was joined by his husband, Mario Cantone. Sam wanted a timeless look, renting his tux from The Black Tux while incorporating black onyx studs and black mother of pearl cufflinks from his paternal grandfather. He also wore a blue sapphire bracelet from David Yurman, a gift to himself the weekend he proposed. Jessica wore a Carolina Herrera gown that she consigned from The Real Real, altered through a rush service from Alteration Specialists in the city just 3.5 weeks away from her wedding date. She wanted a gown that was timeless and simple, allowing her to shine through, adding pearls to finish the look.
Sam and Jess threw an unforgettable wedding event that will forever go down in the history books for me. They didn't do an entrance, but warmly welcomed everyone before sitting down for dinner made by the wonderful, Alexandra Dettori. Jessica's father, who lives in Shanghai, couldn't attend the event but during the speeches, her step-father read her a personal letter from him that was filled with his love and support and had everyone in tears by the end. As soon as the opportunity approached, everyone filled the dance floor very quickly and spent the majority of the evening showing off their unique dance moves. One commemorable move from the evening, grabbing a janitor's mop and mopping the floor with swagger. At the end of the night everyone gathered outside to send the newly weds off with a sparkler exit.
